GoElvis.com,

As the sun bore down on hundreds of faithful Elvis fans from across the country and the world, about 20 people were protesting Sunday outside Graceland.

The protesters were carrying signs claiming black people received unequal treatment and that most were denied advancement into top managerial jobs at Elvis Presley Enterprises, which runs Graceland.

The protesters maintain that Graceland has only one black manager and no black directors. A few of the protesters were adults, but most were children and teenagers.

Tommie Hawkins, 45, of Memphis was among the protesters. “A lot of folks are scared to speak up for themselves,” he said. His wife, Gwendolyn Hawkins, filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against Graceland and Elvis Presley Enterprises in May 2001.

Graceland spokesman Courtney Dukes declined to comment about the protest, saying, “That’s a pending lawsuit.”